Anyone who has lived in the Cayman Islands since 1973 should be familiar with Miss Jackie’s School of Dance. Mrs Jackie Balls began her company with ballet lessons, and many adults who were children back then will remember learning the positions at the barre as they prepared for one of her upcoming shows. She presented The Nutcracker, and Alice in Wonderland amongst other productions, bringing in costumes from overseas and transforming the George Town town Hall to accommodate all the props and dancers.
For children growing up in Cayman at the time, the arrival of the costumes was one of the most exciting parts of being in Miss Jackie’s ballets, as nothing like them was sold on the Island. Satin and tulle tutus would be handed out to all the young dancers and it was like Christmas come early. A number of her students graduated to toe shoes, and went on to pursue dance professionally. For those who took a different path and entered the business world, they still have very fond memories of their time in Miss Jackie’s classes.
Now, nearly 40 years on, Miss Jackie is still teaching dance but the repertoire of her school has expanded to include many different styles. She has also been keen to embrace the new and the interesting, as she recently became a certified Zumba instructor, a dance fitness craze that has swept the globe. She takes students from the age of three to adult, and offers ballet, creative, modern and tap dance classes with jazz, street dance and Zumba for the older children. Although she still presents shows, one of Miss Jackie’s main objectives when it comes to introducing children to dance these days is to get them moving and exercising.
The extraordinary advances made in technology have made our world an easier one to live in, but they have also taken a lot of children from the playground and plopped them firmly in front of the television or their portable game systems. Their level of physical activity has dropped significantly, and now hours that used to be spent running around, swimming or climbing are reserved for sedentary play with electronics doing all the work. To prevent obesity and health issues such as diabetes arising from too much food combined with too little exercise, children need to be encouraged to engage in more activities that involve developing their muscles. Dance is an excellent form of exercise and it’s fun! Zumba has become one of the most popular aerobic classes in gyms, and why? Because adults can burn calories without it feeling like work.
Miss Jackie’s classes are designed for specific age groups, and beginners are welcome; no experience is necessary. In order to show children and parents what her dance school is all about and how dance can benefit students of all ages, she will be holding an open house on Saturday, 26 May, at her location in Pasadora Place, next to Petique. All are welcome.
For more information call 949-7296.
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